Medal of Bravery

• Awarded on: September 24, 1984
• Invested on: March 15, 1985

Through the efforts of Hank Thompson, his two young sons and his sister-in-law were saved from a fire which destroyed their home in Entrance, Alberta, on the morning of 11 January 1983. Mr. Thompson awoke to find a bedroom wall ablaze. He broke the window at once, lowered his younger son to the ground while shouting to wake his sister-in-law sleeping in another room and urging her to escape, which she was able to do. Meanwhile, his three-year-old son had run into the living-room where the fire raged out of control. Mr. Thompson groped his way in the dense smoke, found the unconscious boy on the floor, carried him through the scorching flames to the bedroom window and pushed him out. Mr. Thompson then leaped to safety. He suffered severe burns during the rescue.